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Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus survives primary challenge

The race marked the most serious threat yet to Bachus’s hold on his Birmingham seat. | AP Photo

“It is hurtful when loved ones, neighbors and church members read and hear falsehoods attacking your character made and repeated in the media. But negative and personal attacks intended to create controversy and fear do not succeed,” Bachus wrote. “As your representative, please be assured that I will continue to strive to serve you with joy and optimism.”

Beason had his own controversy to confront. Bachus’s allies sought to draw attention to Beason’s role in a 2011 gambling corruption probe, when he wore an FBI wiretap and was recorded calling rural black casino-goers “aborigines.”

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Bachus’s win positions him to secure an eleventh term, since the suburban Birmingham-area district is strongly Republican.

In southern Alabama, GOP Rep. Jo Bonner coasted to re-nomination over Dean Young, a tea party-aligned real estate developer. Young, who spent over $100,000 of his own funds in the race, aired commercials blasting Bonner, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, on spending.

The Bachus and Bonner wins are a blow to the Houston-based Campaign for Primary Accountability, a nonpartisan super PAC that has been targeting longtime incumbents of both parties in primaries. The third-party group put Bachus and Bonner in its crosshairs, airdropping into their district commercials urging voters to take them out of office. Between the two races, CPA spent around $300,000.

The group made a splash last week, when it helped to unseat Schmidt. It is also spending money against Illinois Reps. Don Manzullo and Jesse Jackson, a Republican and Democrat, ahead of next week’s primary.

Three tea party-aligned freshmen also skated to wins on Tuesday evening. Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks fended off former Rep. Parker Griffith, a former Democrat whom Brooks unseated in a 2010 primary just a few months after Griffith switched to the Republican Party. Two other GOP first termers, Mississippi Reps. Alan Nunnelee and Steven Palazzo, notched convincing wins over underfunded opponents.

In western Mississippi, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, the powerful top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, coasted to a lopsided win over former Greenville Mayor Heather McTeer.

Readers' Comments (8)

Stop being whores for the Democrat establishment. According to Peter Schweitzer's book, six out of ten Washington politicians who engage in apparent insider trading are Democrats. Yes, we read other things besides Politico.

Ho Hum...same old same old in Alabama...nothing ever really changes there...

Truly. All the more reason for TERM LIMITS. No one in the common electorate has the resources, the media exposure and the K Street funding to take on an incumbent especially an incumbent entrenched with more than 10 to 20 years of Congressional FACE TIME.

After 2 or 3 terms, NO POLITICIAN is voting their conscience. They're voting their SEAT and trying to keep it.

The concept of citizen representatives was lost to Americans when the first Congressional representative said: You know, we ought to stay here and do this full-time..let's vote on that, why don't we!

it is good to see both Spencer and Bennie coast to their relative primary victories. Both are doing their jobs, well and they are clearly representing both their parties and their districts appropriately and in line with those who choose to show up and cast a ballot.. if you don't bother showing up, don't ask us to care.